Now in it's 36th year, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) writers' division is accepting submissions through April 1, 2016 for youth and adult writing contests.
Adult contests are: Short Fiction, non-fiction, stories for youth, and poetry.
Youth contest are: Short fiction, poetry, and a new category called Federation History. The youth contest is divided into three groups, determined by grade level – elementary, middle, and high school.
Calling all musicians with disabilities! Are you between the ages of 14-25? Are you interested in winning $2,500 and performing at the Kennedy Center?
The 2016 VSA International Young Soloists Competition is accepting entries. The competition is open to soloists and ensembles, domestic and international applicants, and musicians of all genres. Winners receive $2,500, perform at the Kennedy Center, and participate in exciting professional development activities.
For more information about the competition and to apply, visit kennedy-center.org.
Application Deadline: February 10, 2016
VSA, the international Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is dedicated to providing opportunities for people with disabilities, of all ages, across the globe with opportunities to learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts.
Adriana Mallozzi
I inspired by a Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts contestant I met in March 2014. She had her headrest and armrests covered in fabric that matched her pageant dress. It was brilliant! I had never seen anything like it before. And it made perfect sense! We accessorize ourselves with jewelry, hats, belts, nail polish, etc., why not our wheelchairs? After all, we consider them to be extensions of ourselves.
Atara Schimmel
My life changed drastically and abruptly since severe and chronic pelvic pain over took my body. Art has been my hope and my spirit and I have followed the ways of healing and of life through art. I make jewelry laying on the floor in my bedroom during the time that my pain levels were so high that all that I could do was lie on the floor of my room. I found beauty and peace in the gem-stones and distraction from the 24/7 pain in the focus that creating jewelry demanded. I struggle daily with pain and I work very hard to maintain my connection to life. Art helps me with this tremendously.
Catherine Thatcher
"Art in my life gives me a chance to play with shapes and color and textures. I like to create beauty that people love to wear." Catherine's favorite medium is wire and has developed a line of fun and funky jewelry by wrapping high-polished noble metals around semi-precious gemstones, crystals as well as Marino & vintage glass. It is her passion to see silver and gold tones against and around the beads.
Lisa Lundin
I make art because it fulfills a longing in me. I feel complete when I make a piece of art. Looking at the paint or ink on my hands and then looking at my finished piece I feel proud to call myself an artist. I feel unique and special and that I am doing something I am meant to do.
Mihoko Wakabayashi
SAORI Weaving is an art of weaving by hand that is dedicated to free expression and self-development for everyone, regardless of physical or mental ability, age, or artistic aptitude. SAORI Weaving is pure improvisation from the heart, with no premeditated pattern in mind. Colors unfold, designs emerge, and beauty blooms directly from the genius of each unique individual working in harmony with loom, thread, and the spark of the moment. SAORI Weaving is a profound inner journey, yet we can enjoy it socially, working alongside others. We can also create clothing, bags, tapestries, and many useful items that can be appreciated by all.
Millicent Holder
I usually make jewelry because I don't usually feel like drawing. I started making
jewelry because I wanted something nice to wear. I've made so much jewelry during the years that I want to sell it. Making jewelry keeps my mind occupied. When my minds occupied I have a better peace of mind. When I create jewelry I feel good and proud of myself after I finished my jewelry. When I create jewelry I'm expressing my good character.
Sandra Jackson
I was a professional woman supervising a department and an accident caused epilepsy. After surgery, I permanently have seizures. My artwork is about expressing self, seeing what people like, and feeling from my heart what people like. I'm an upbeat person and people are upbeat around me.
Tony DeBlois
Ever since he was born - blind and weighing less than two pounds - Tony DeBlois has been defying the odds and wildly surpassing others' expectations. Diagnosed early on as autistic, at two years old his talent for music was revealed when he played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on a toy piano. Going on to graduate with honors from the Berklee College of Music, today Tony leads an improvisational jazz ensemble and performs solo shows from Dublin to Taipei and also Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center.
